


The Wedding Show - Episodes 1-3

by Casey (nic)



Series: The Wedding Show [2]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, M/M, Reality TV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-15 21:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7239991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nic/pseuds/Casey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>10 couples. $500 000 in prize money. And a race to the altar. Jared and Jensen need your votes now!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Previously on "Marry Me...."

We scoured the country for that one elusive thing that everyone dreams of... love. From thousands of applications to hundreds of matches generated by our patented Marry Me! matching system, we came up with our finalists. Each person got sent on three dates, and from that, they had to choose their future husband or wife. 

Sparks flew when Julian and Kiralee met for the first time. Whereas poor Harry didn't know where to look...on any of his dates! Can he overcome his chronic shyness? Our two Texan boys, Jared and Jensen, seem to have won a few hearts already. But will they win the hearts of each other? 

Stay tuned for tonight's episode of Marry Me!" 

\--- 

"Welcome to the house, couples! Your first challenge today is to sort out living arrangements." Gretchen smiled saucily at the camera. "Now, unfortunately we have to lay down a few ground rules." She pointed out the cameras that captured all of the communal areas. "You're not going to be spending that much time here, but if anything special happens between you and your partner 'after hours', so to speak, rest assured that we will be capturing it on camera." 

Ugh. Jensen knew that was the point of the game, to show a romance developing start to finish, but it was a little creepy, wasn't it? Filming their every move? 

"Rest assured there are no cameras in the bathrooms, and if you find you're having an intimate bedroom encounter, my advice would be to turn out the lights." She went on to explain that they would not air any nudity or sex, but what Jensen gathered from the carefully worded instructions was that if they chose to have sex in the house, they risked it getting leaked. At the very least, some poor intern would have to review the footage. 

He glanced at Jared, but Jared's face was impassive. What was he thinking? What was Jensen thinking? The idea of sex, real, actual sex - as part of a tv show - was something he hadn't really considered. Up until now, it had been an abstract concept. But now, there was a living, breathing person in front of him with whom it was a theoretical possibility. 

Or a practical one. Just how far did they want to go to try and win this competition? 

Jensen tried to picture himself kissing Jared. They'd come close, and he flushed, thinking of the moment on the dance floor. Yeah, Jared was very attractive. Even if he wasn't at all who he'd expected when he signed up for the show. 

"We have twelve couples here. One half of each couple will live on the East Side, the other person on the West. You'll meet in the communal areas - dining, living room, rec room. But it's up to you to choose your roommates." 

That was both good and bad. Bad, because Jensen barely knew anyone else here. (He'd had a maybe 10-second conversation with a woman called Dell.) Good, because the idea of living with Jared while dating him seemed a bit too intense. 

Gretchen did a quick head count to ensure no one had snuck off to check out the rest of the house. "If you don't like your roommate, that's bad luck, so choose carefully. Now, I want you to all line up in two lines, facing your partner." 

Watching the couples was pretty entertaining. There were two guys who seemed pretty tight already - maybe they'd met at auditions? - who ensured they were standing on the same side, opposite a stunning redhead and a gorgeous blonde. Actually, he realised, almost everyone in the room met Hollywood standards of attractiveness. For once, Jensen felt like he didn't stand out. 

"Okay, teams, now we're split down the middle. West side, East Side, go!" He watched as the two buddies grabbed each other and bolted up the stairs, obviously looking for the best room. A tough-looking blonde girl tugged on Jared's arm; Jensen reflected he'd seen them laughing together earlier. He turned to check out his own roommate options - and discovered that half were gone already. 

This meant that by the time Jensen made it up the stairs, the only remaining beds were in the four-person dorms. Great, just great. He would've preferred a little more privacy than this! A pale girl with a British accent stood outside the doors. "Right, we should arrange this by gender," she announced. "Boys in the left dorm, girls on the right." 

Jensen shrugged. That was fine with him. 

"Who died and made you queen?" asked a tough-looking blonde, Kate, he thought her name was. 

"I spent years in Boarding School in England," the girl replied. "Trust me, it's far easier this way, even if we are all supposed to be adults!" 

Glancing around at the group, Jensen wasn't sure that was true. In addition to the British girl, there was another girl who looked ... decidedly young. As for the guys - he wondered if he could actually be friends with any of them? They were the competition. 

Kate gave the girl a black look as they filed into the dorm. Jensen lifted his eyebrows at the other guys and they casually wandered into the other room, pretending he didn't care where he slept, but a bit of privacy would be nice. He, thankfully, ended up with a bed next to the wall as Julian gallantly offered to take one of the middle bunks. His other roommates flipped for it - Lee in the corner, Xander in the middle. 

"You know, guys, this is good. That way I can keep an eye on the door." 

"An eye on the door?" 

"You know, just in case something comes through it." 

Right on cue, Jack stumbled into the room. "I'm not sure if I'd call meself 'something', mates, but I'm wonderin' if you've got room for one more?" Apparently his roommate had kicked him out already. "Said he didn't like the way I smelled, then threatened to shoot me with an arrow." 

He lifted one arm, sniffed under his armpit. "Smells fine to me!" 

And with that, he plopped the mattress he'd been dragging with him onto the floor, and settled down. 

Cynically, Jensen wondered if this little bit of interaction would make it on air as well. 

\--- 

"There's gotta be a catch here. Right?" Jared flicked through the stack of folders in mock-frustration. "But I just don't see it." 

It was just the two of them (and a cameraman) in a tiny room. Jensen was getting to the point where he didn't even notice the crew so much any more. (The cameras, however, were another story.) 

"Well, there's a reason this isn't actually a challenge. Pick a wedding planner. How hard can it be?" 

This was the first actual wedding related activity they'd been assigned. The "getting to know you" activities were still ongoing, but apparently they needed to pick a wedding planner early so that the studio could get the appropriate contracts in place. They'd been given a list of almost all the wedding planners in LA who were, truth be told, frequently out-of-work actors filling in time. That meant they were more than willing to offer their services for a minimal fee in return for television exposure. 

As a result, almost every dossier was exactly the same. Glossy, generic, with a lengthy list of all of all the weddings the planner had overseen. 

"I think their intention is to drive us insane with boredom." Jared couldn't sit down, he was bouncing from wall to wall. His energy was one of the things Jensen liked about him, but occasionally, it drove him to distraction. Especially when they were supposed to be focussing. 

"Put us in a locked room together and see what happens?" Jensen joked. 

"Haha, very funny." Then he froze. "You know, Kate and Derek were in here before us. I bet they had sex on that desk." 

Jensen pushed his chair back in disgust. "Thank you for that, Jared. That's exactly the sort of image I wanted to have in mind while I am sitting here trying to choose a wedding planner! Oh, and did I happen to mention that it was for our wedding?" He didn't want to get mad, but apparently Jared's frustration was rubbing off on him. 

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry." Jared came up behind him, laid his hands on his shoulders. "It's just weird, you know. I haven't even proposed yet and we're already doing this stuff?" His hands started a gentle massage; it was the first time he'd done this, but it worked. Again, the thought struck Jensen that they really were well matched because intuitively, Jared knew just what to do. 

Feeling calmer, he replayed Jared's last words in his head. "Hang on a moment, who says that you get to propose? What if I want to do it?" 

"I'm taller!" was Jared's response. 

"Taller? That's your sole justification for making me the chick in this relationship?" 

The moment he said it, even in jest, Jensen wished he could take it back. But thankfully, Jared had decided to run with the joke. "Taller, smarter, better looking... let's face it, Jen, the cameras love me, and I bet you will cry oh-so-beautifully when I get down on one knee in front of you." He slapped Jensen's shoulders, the brief moment of tenderness long gone. 

"Oh, you want me to cry, huh?" He spun to face Jared. "Well, you're gonna make me cry if you don't help me pick a wedding planner so we can get out of here!" 

Heaving a theatrical sigh, Jared picked up the closest three folders. He paused on the second one. "Hey, this woman sounds funny. She's been in politics, she made her own wedding dress, and, oh, she runs a charity." He held up the front page for Jensen to see - there was a grainy black and white photo of a smiling couple. Underneath was a picture of a freaky looking carved pumpkin. "The greatest wedding planner in the world!" said the logo. 

"Give me that." Jensen scanned the file - in no way was this woman an expert wedding planner, given that her resume listed all kinds of random acts. But maybe that was what they wanted. He looked at the photo more closely - okay, she wore too much make-up and her husband looked decidedly feminine - maybe she was. That would make for interesting television, right? One thing that did stand out from the resume was that she was obviously very intelligent. 

Given that she was married, that made her much less likely to hit on either of them and cause unnecessary drama. (So the show had made him cynical already. So sue him.) 

He glanced at the stack of folders one last time, knowing they were full of generic resumes with different faces. 

"Hell, it's not like doing the unsafe thing has backfired on us yet." Jensen looked meaningfully at Jared. "So we pick someone fun?" 

"Done." Jared high-fived him, and grabbed the file back. He turned his mega-watt smile to the camera (even now, that smile caused Jensen to go a little weak at the knees) and held up the dossier. "We choose the fabulous Misha Collins!" 

\--- 

"Welcome back, viewers! Now, I'm sure you all remember the story of Derek and Stiles. Best friends who grew up in the same small town, who both seemed to have endless dating disasters." A cut to Derek, dancing awkwardly with a girl, and Stiles watching him from across the room, shaking his head. 

"I just don't know what we're doing wrong," Stiles explained. "I mean, me, I can understand, I'm kind of a spaz sometimes. But Derek? Look at him! Just look at him!" The camera did, panning up his body as he took his shirt off. There was even a cheesy drumbeat to match. 

The scene cut to Derek, who looked pretty uncomfortable. "Yeah, it was Stiles' idea." 

"And what did you think of the whole thing?" 

He stared at the camera for a while. "Sounded like fun." 

Stiles jumped into the shot, picking up the rest of the story. "We were in my room one night, researching, um, things, and the ad for this show popped up. I guess you could say that we dared each other to do it, and I never thought we'd make it through the auditions, much less onto the actual show. And have you seen some of the women here? Man, I should've done this years ago!" 

"You weren't legal years ago," Derek cut in, a hint of a smile (the first the viewing audience had seen) on his face. "You weren't even legal until last month." 

"Well, I am now. Look out, ladies of LA. Stiles Stilinski is coming to town!" 

"Please welcome to the stage...Stiles!" 

The crowd applauded - it was one of the more subdued reactions, but that was just because they didn't know him yet. 

"We sent you on three dates, Stiles. Do you want to tell us what you thought of them?" 

"Okay, firstly, all of the women here are absolutely stunning. Seriously incredible. I could've been happy with anyone! But there was one lady in particular who captured my heart from the moment I saw her face. She was a vision of beauty, perfection in human form, an angel who's come down from heaven to greet me...." 

Gretchen eventually had to cut him off. "Well, Stiles, now is your chance to see who your match is. Come on down and open the door!" 

The look on his face was priceless. "Lydia!" He dropped to his knees and kissed her feet. 

In the meantime, Lydia was fuming. "What the hell?" she almost screeched. "I didn't pick him! I chose Jackson!" 

The screens behind the stage showed Lydia debating between boxes A, B and C, finally settling on C. 

"Are you sure about that, Lydia?" Gretchen joked. "I think your subconscious picked Stiles instead. After all, the computer gave you two an 89 percent match on intelligence!" 

Stiles, in the meantime, had picked himself up off the ground and was now trying to hold Lydia's hand. Lydia was having none of it. 

"Well, it seems like this couple is going to be very entertaining to watch. Will Lydia admit to herself that she did choose Stiles?" 

"I did not!" 

"Will Stiles be able to win her over with his unique charm?" 

For once he seemed lost for words. 

"Will this be the surprise couple that makes it all the way to the altar and into wedded bliss?" 

\--- 

Jared could not stop laughing as they watched the playback. Of all of the introduction sequences, it had to have been one of the best. The entire room was laughing, even Lydia herself. "I know, I know, not my best moment," she said, not having to say what the rest of them were thinking - that she'd ensured she and Stiles were memorable from the start. And to get the votes of the viewing public, you had to stand out. 

However, she was seated far from Stiles and obviously hadn't warmed to him yet. 

Stiles was actually looking a little lost - in a house full of big personalities, he hadn't quite found his niche yet. Jensen totally understood how he felt. Even Stiles' BFF Derek seemed distant, well, to be honest, he was twined together on the sofa with his match. (It was obvious they were sleeping together already - Kate didn't seem like the type of girl who would wait around. And if Jensen were totally honest with himself, who wouldn't want to hit that? 

Not that he was looking.) 

But seriously, a house full of attractive people, tension high in the air, and every moment of their day job focussed on creating romance? If they got through to the end of the show without any more hook-ups he would be extremely surprised. 

Like Jared and his roommate. Jensen frowned. Kara seemed like a really cool girl - tough, but funny, just like Jared. She loved to hang back and kick it with the guys and already had a reputation in the house as a pool shark. Jensen really liked her. 

"Hey! Ackles!" She'd noticed him staring. "Stop mooning over your boy!" 

"Mooning? I'm not mooning. I'm just...appreciating his aesthetic." Since Kara and Jared were wedged into a loveseat together, she'd thankfully assumed he was looking at Jared, who preened at the compliment. 

"What can I say, I'm pretty irresistable!" And it was true, after seeing Jared on his other two dates beside Jensen, it had been obvious that Jared could pull who ever he wanted. 

"Better watch out, Jensen, who knows what's going on behind locked doors!" 

He resolutely ignored the bitchy comment. He hoped Blair got kicked off the show soon. Tomorrow they were back to the challenges, which meant they were another day closer to the first couple being eliminated. So far, Jared and Jensen had been kicking ass. 

He had no fears about being in the bottom three, but apart from that first night of dancing, they hadn't exactly been romantic. Once the numbers of competitors started dropping, they'd have to be able to sell the romance to get the votes. But they had been so busy, with challenges and required tv viewing of the episodes and even the drama of queueing for a shower in a house full of twenty-four people (and several cameramen from time to time). 

At least everyone was in the same situation. 

The episode screening continued, continuing to show everyone meeting their matches. At least now he was starting to remember everyone's name. Even if there were three red-haired women in the house. Jensen winced as he watched his own dates - deciding he really needed to work on his stage presence for the dramatic stage interview - and found he was very curious to see Jared's other two matches. One was a tiny dark-haired girl, and Jared actually winced when he saw her. (Jensen would have to ask him about the story behind that later.) 

The other match? Was Kara. Jared's roommate. 

Jensen watched the rest in mild shock, as the show finished on the decidedly soppy first meeting of John and Dell. The episode screening was over, which meant they were finally free to leave. All Jensen wanted to do was get some sleep but maybe the time could be better invested chatting to Jared. 

Or not. 

Kara was already dragging Jared to the kitchen for beer, and it seemed that party night was every night here in the "Marry Me" house. Someone turned up the music and a redhead was pushing aside the couches to make space for a dancefloor. Jensen wasn't particularly in the mood for dancing, but he knew that Jack would already be passed out in the dorm, snoring loudly enough to wake the dead. ("Funny you should mention that," Jack had said when Blair accused him of the same thing one morning, and then launched into yet another ludicrous tale that they found hard to believe. Then again, Jack thought he was a pirate. Enough said.) 

He wandered into the kitchen, figuring that it would get him away from the inevitable requests to dance. Kara and Jared were still there, intently talking. He froze, not wanting to intrude, and watched Kara laughingly punch him in the shoulder with an easy familiarity. 

"I love you, Jay, I really do," she said. 

Then the two of them looked up to see Jensen there, and all three of them instantly knew that this moment - and the horrified look on Jensen's face - would be broadcast to the world. 

"Not like that!" Kara covered, but it was too late. "Like a bro." 

"Even though we got matched?" Jared had to bring it up. It was the elephant in the room, considering the footage they'd just seen of Kara and Jared on an introductory date together. Given that Kara and Jared had been roommates from day 1, Jensen couldn't help but wonder why neither of them had thought to mention this before. Okay, maybe not everyone needed to know, but Jared could've told him privately, right? 

"So I'm guessing your date was worse than what they showed, right?" Jensen tried to make light of the conversation. 

"Nah, it was awesome." They clinked their beers together. "But we just didn't feel that... thing." 

"Yeah, that thing," Jared quickly added, but his eyes showed the lie. 

"Whatever," Jensen said, now getting pissed off. "Anyway, you guys have fun tonight. I'm gonna hit the sack." 

Kara frowned, and Jared looked pained. "Jen, wait. I didn't - I mean...." Frustrated, he ran his hand through his hair. "I just didn't think it mattered, you know? And then the longer we kept it a secret, the worse it seemed. 

"I just didn't know how to bring it up, and then it was weeks ago so, well...." He shrugged. "Trust me, you have nothing to worry about." 

By this point, not only was Kara intruding on what should have been a private conversation, but they had a couple of other spectators too. 

"It's okay, I get it." Jensen managed a smile. There was no sense in letting the other competitors thinking there was trouble in paradise even before things had truly begun. 

"Jensen." He finally left Kara, walked to him and placed his hands on Jensen's shoulders. "We're okay, right?" 

How could he say no to that, when Jared was looking at him so earnestly? 

"Yeah," Jensen conceded. "We're okay." He had to make himself believe it, otherwise they'd lose, and he could't afford that at all. 

\--- 

"Hey Mom." He curled up with his cell phone in a corner in the kitchen, voice quiet. It was early and Jensen didn't think anyone else was up yet. 

"Jensen! It's so good to hear your voice!" 

"You too." He stifled a yawn, but some things were more important than sleep, and this was one of the few chances he had for privacy. "I'm sorry I haven't called much, the show schedule is crazy." 

"I'll bet," she said, her voice light with amusement. "They aired the third episode last night, Jensen." 

Oh. Shit. He'd lost track of the days. "That was the episode where...?" he prompted. 

"Where you chose your very handsome beau." 

Jensen winced. He'd told his parents all about the show before he was actually on it, but neglected to mention that he'd been willing to be matched with guys. And while his parents knew he wasn't entirely straight, the only partners he'd ever brought home to meet them had been female. 

"How," and he paused, swallowing hard, "how did Dad take it?" 

There was a pause. "He understands why you're doing this, Jensen. We both do. And it breaks my heart for you but at the same time, I couldn't be more honoured to call you my son." 

"Mom-" and he couldn't speak anymore, emotion threatening to spill out as tears. He angrily rubbed at his eyes. He didn't want the cameras to see him cry. 

"So why don't you tell me more about this Jared? He seems like a nice young man." 

Smiling gratefully, Jensen was able to answer. "He is, Mom. He really is. He's so much fun to be around and we work really well together. I can't tell you too much - not until the show's over, you know - but I lucked out." 

They chatted for a few more minutes, then a light snapped on and Natasha slunk into the kitchen. She looked as tired as Jensen felt. 

"Hey Mom, I gotta go. But I'll try and call again soon, okay?" 

"Love you, Jensen." 

"I love you too." 

Hearing her say goodbye almost caused him to tear up again and he blinked it away. 

"You okay, Jensen?" For a tough chick, Natasha could be remarkably compassionate. 

"Yeah, it's just...hard, you know? Being away from home." 

She looked sad. "I guess. I haven't had a home in a long time." She started brewing the coffee and Jensen realised that this was the Natasha that he liked better, the soft one who only came out occasionally. The rest of the time she was (and there was no other word for it) a badass, and her match Clint was much the same. 

Jensen was pretty sure they were gonna win. 


	2. Chapter 2

“Today’s challenge is called… Back Seat Driver!” The screen showed a squabbling couple in a car, going round and round in circles. “We all know that navigating to somewhere new can be a challenge, especially when you don’t have an accurate map! One half of each couple will be given directions while the other half has to drive. The team that gets to their destination the fastest – with the least amount of arguments – will win $10 000 to put towards their wedding!”

\---

Jensen glanced down at the set of instructions that had just been handed to him. 3 pages of text, no map to speak of. He flipped to the last line, which said nothing more than, "You have now arrived at your destination."

Thankfully, there were road names printed on the itinerary, but not always. "Couples, if you get lost, there is a number you can call for assistance. It's printed on the first page. Keep in mind that every time you call this number, you'll incur a 10 minute penalty on your final time."

"No speeding, no breaking the law, and no use of any other kind of map. That includes smart phones - if we catch you using these, your team will be automatically disqualified."

Jared glanced at Jensen. "Fair enough," he said.

Gretchen went through the more mundane details, then said, "Okay, teams, choose your driver."

And...that was making things interesting from the word go. Jared and Jensen barely knew each other - how could they possibly decide who was the better driver and who was the better navigator? Jensen didn't mind doing either, although he wasn't a particular fan of LA traffic (then again, was anyone)?

Already holding out his fist, Jared said, "Let's shake on it."

One, two, three, and Jared's paper covered Jensen's rock and he quickly picked up the keys. "Not that I don't trust you, Jen, but I'm happiest behind the wheel."

They clambered into the waiting car; the poor cameramen squished into the back-seat had even less space than usual due to the length of Jared's legs and the amount of room he required.

"Ready.... Go!"

At first it was easy. Jensen read out the instructions, one by one and Jared had no trouble following them. That was, until they got to a one way street. "Left on Dawson," Jensen said.

They got to the street in question. "Can't," Jared replied, noting it was a one-way street, and kept driving. "Did we miss something?"

"Nope, we've been right on the money all the way til now." He read the next instruction, which said, "Left on Bute, then take the fourth right."

"Do you think there's a Bute around here?"

"I'm gonna ask this guy," Jared said and pulled over to the kerb. "I know, I know, I'm breaking all of the man rules by asking for directions but, dear viewers," and he flashed a charming grin at the camera, "we are going to win this challenge by any means possible."

"Any means _within the rules_ ," Jensen quickly added, scanning the sheet of instructions again. But no, he hadn't missed anything. Jared's driving had been perfect.

The jogger told them that Bute was just up ahead. "Interesting."

"Interesting what?"

"I think they gave us some wrong directions on purpose."

As a result, when they came to a left turn that clearly said "No left turn", he just sailed straight past the sign.

"Jared!"

"What?"

"Did you see that sign?!"

"What sign?" Jared's face was the picture of angelic innocence, however, Jensen was beginning to suspect the other man was even better at acting than he'd first presumed.

Hanging his head in his hands, Jensen murmured, "I hope we don't get disqualified for that...." He looked back at the sheet in his hands and read out the next direction. Apparently they were still on track.

It got even easier from there, now that they knew the directions could be wrong. Jensen even sat back and started enjoying the ride - after all, he was in a flashy car, being chauffeured around by a very good-looking man, and hey, this was supposed to be a date, wasn't it? With the window down and the wind whipping by, he was almost tempted to turn up the radio and start singing.

Half an hour later, they arrived at their destination - a huge, empty parking lot halfway up a hill. "Okay, we're here. Now what?" Jared parked the car, carefully, and they got out.

Then the camera crew appeared from behind the building, Gretchen at the front.

"Congratulations, Jared and Jensen! You guys are the first team here!"

Jared grinned at Jensen. Jensen grinned back. They high-fived each other, knowing that even if they were penalised for a couple of not-quite-entirely following the road rules, the entire journey had been smooth running. And a couple of hours later, it was clear they'd won.

They saw the footage later - Kate screaming at Derek, which resulted in Derek pulling over and refusing to drive any more. It wasn't quite as bad as the team of Cordelia and Xander - she'd had actually ditched her partner halfway because she'd insisted she'd get there faster by herself.

Then there were Ana-Maria and Jack, who never actually made it to the destination at all. Apparently they'd stopped for a quick drink ("To calm me nerves," Jack had said just before downing a double shot of rum), and pretty soon neither of them were in any kind of state to drive.

As for their actual competition, Chuck and Blair had arrived shortly after Jared and Jensen. It was obvious there was trouble in paradise because the two refused to speak to each other after they'd been told they were second. But apparently they'd been able to deal with whatever had gone wrong during the actual drive, their desire to win overcoming their personality conflict. Natasha and Clint had come in third by a hair.

"This was a pretty easy task," Jared said to the cameras in the pick-up shots they filmed later. "I think it's because Jensen's such a trusting guy, you know? He did his thing, I did mine, and it worked!" The footage was interspersed with a clip of the two of them giving each other an exuberant bro-hug.

Watching it a couple of weeks later, Jensen winced. That wasn't the way to sell a romance. He glanced across the room at Jared, who was watching the TV intently, a beer in hand. "Woah, do you think they put enough bronzer on me?" he joked. "I look orange!"

"You look just fine, Jay," replied Payson.

She was in one of the more contentious match-ups of the show, being barely 18 years old and matched with a man 12 years her senior. Apparently the studio was already getting angry letters about child abuse.

Having lived in a house with these people for several weeks now, Jensen knew they had nothing to worry about. Her match, Sasha, barely touched her, he was so concerned about being a gentleman and not taking advantage. But there was a spark between them, a connection.

It was fun, Jensen reflected, watching the episodes as they aired live. (Of course the cameras were on them, filming any good reaction shots.) Watching the first challenge, he seemed so naive. He hadn't known how the show worked and, more than that, he hadn't really known any of these people. Weeks on, there were several he could call friends.

And of course, there was Jared. Jared, who'd been like an instant best friend from moment one.

He glanced around the living room, reflecting that it already felt a little emptier. They'd lost two couples so far in the weekly eliminations. And it wasn't necessarily due to failed romance - some of the matches remaining in the house would obviously _never_ last the distance, but the teamwork they'd displayed kept them in the game.

There were some pretty cool people here.

And there were others that, well, Jensen wasn't even going to allow himself to _think_ those undiplomatic thoughts unless they accidentally came out on camera.

"You seem deep in thought," said Dell softly, coming up to sit beside him.

He gestured to the room. "Just wondering if any of us would have been friends in real life, if it wasn't for this show."

She gave him a pensive look. "Do you believe in soulmates, Jensen?"

He didn't know how to answer that and told her as much.

"I think there is something that brought each of us here, at this point in time, to be with these people. How else can you explain such vivid differences in all of us?"

Reality show? he thought sarcastically, but couldn't bring himself to say that to Dell. She was so earnest, so... innately good. She seemed like an actual believer.

"I'm sorry," she laughed, "I can see in your eyes you're not convinced."

"Do you believe in soulmates?" he countered. She seemed happy enough with her match, a guy called John, whom everybody liked.

"I think that there are people who come into your life for a reason," she answered. "Even in a highly constructed situation like this." An impish glint came into her eye. "Tell me, was what we saw tonight, when you met Jared on stage, truly the first time you met him?"

He didn't want to answer that.

Dell nodded. "People we are meant to be with - they have a way of coming into our lives in the way we least expect. I don't necessarily mean romance," and again, she looked around at their competitors. Some were chatting in small groups, others had gone in search of other entertainment already. "But I do think a lot of us were meant to be friends."

Jensen couldn't help but grimace. "I guess that's what Jared and I look like right now," he conceded. "Friends."

"Is that what you want?"

He looked at her. How could he possibly explain what he wanted when he wasn't entirely sure himself what that was? He wanted to win. That was the only answer he had right now. "I like Jared, I really do. I just don't know how to, well, how do you _make_ romance happen?" he asked.

"You can't," she replied. "It either is, or it isn't. But you have to be willing to try." She glanced up, and John was bringing her a cup of tea. The smile on her face was beautiful. "Just be open, Jensen. See what the universe will bring you."

As if on cue, Jared finally peeled himself away from Kara. "Hey Jensen," Jared said, a serious look on his face. "Can we talk?"

His stomach flipped. Yeah, they needed to talk. About their romance, or lack thereof. There was attraction, to be sure, and there was friendship, but neither of them were actually acting on it. More than half of the couples had kissed already and he and Jared had barely held hands.

Nodding, Jensen said, "Sure," and picked up his beer and followed Jared out of the room. Away from the house would've been ideal but that was against the rules. Any conversation they had wouldn't be the least bit private; and it was so hard to have an honest conversation when you knew the world was watching.

They settled for the porch, which was at least away from the other contestants. The show had oh-so-kindly provided an old-fashioned swing-seat and Jared looked almost comical as he sat down and pushed it back with his long legs. He laughed, swinging back and forward a few times while Jensen waited for him to be done.

"So..." Jensen began.

"So...Jen, sit down." He patted the seat next to him and Jensen gingerly took his spot, trying not to spill his drink. "You can sit closer than that, I swear I'm not going to bite!" He leered closer. "Not unless you want me to, that is."

Jensen couldn't help it, he leaned away. It was fake, another fake come-on, and, well, he was tired of it. Jared was an amazing guy, an awesome bro, and they had so much potential. But right now, Jensen felt like they just weren't connecting at all.

Apparently his thoughts were obvious on his face, because Jared sighed, and pulled back. "I'm sorry, Jensen. I just...I just don't know where we stand right now."

It was true. They were breezing through challenges and hadn't been anywhere near the Bottom 3 so far. But that would only take them so far. The previous day, they'd been on a "romantic dinner date" challenge, and while the conversation had been great, and downright hilarious at times, the minute Jared made a romantic overture, Jensen froze.

"I'm sorry," Jensen managed. "I don't know what's wrong - it's not you, trust me," he hastened to reassure the other man. "You're everything anyone could ever want."

That was one of the problems, Jared had chemistry with everyone. He'd especially seen it with Kara. Jared had promised him there was nothing there, but it didn't stop their easy banter, or Lee staring at the ceiling in the boys' dorm, angsting that his match was in love with someone else.

Jared frowned. "I don't care about what anyone else wants. I care about what you want." He hesitated. "Jensen, is it... is it because I'm a guy?"

"No!"

Jared looked skeptical.

"Okay, maybe I never entirely thought through coming out as bisexual on national television, and I keep remembering that my mom and sister are watching this and I don't even want to _think_ about my dad watching, because there are just some things parents shouldn't know, you know?"

Jared relaxed minutely. "Okay, I kinda get that, but I'm a camera-whore," and with that, he gave his cheesiest grin in the direction of the closest camera, "and I figure it goes with the territory." He sighed. "You gotta stop thinking about them, Jensen. Be present in the moment."

"How can I do that when I know everyone is watching?" He wasn't like Jared or the rest of the house. He just couldn't turn it off, the awareness.

"You focus on me. You talk to me." He paused, drumming his fingers on his thigh. "Okay, what about this. We tell each other about our lives. All those stupid childhood stories that no one ever wants to hear - but I want to hear them. I want to know you, Jensen." He winked, and whispered, "And I want to kiss you too."

For a moment it seemed like he would. But then he shook his head, and said, "But not unless you want it."

"I - I do want it," Jensen confessed. "Not like this, though. I'm kinda worried that the next stunt is gonna be which couple can make out the longest, or something like that."

"Shh, you'll give them ideas!"

They smiled, before Jensen grew serious again. "I'm sorry, Jared. I thought it would be easy to get romantic on this show. You know, do all the right things. Flowers and wining and dining and all of that." He paused. "Then I met you and realised that I didn't want to do that. If there's something here, I want it to be something real." As he said the words, Jensen realised it was true. Somehow, during the past few crazy weeks, he had actually begun to believe. Maybe it was because he'd been watching the others and the way some of the couples acted around each other - like John and Dell, or, as much as it pained him to say it, Chuck and Blair - it actually seemed like real love.

Or maybe, in the middle of a world of lies, he was looking for something true and real to cling to.

Jared, ever so gently, took his hand. "I know we have potential."

"We do."

"So do you think you can open up to me, Jen? Let me see the guy you really are?"

He wanted to trust Jared. He looked into his eyes and saw only warmth. "I can try," he managed.

Somewhere between the story of when Jared was rejected from the little league team for being so good that he intimidated all of the other kids (or so he claimed) and the memories Jensen shared of afternoons at his grandmother's house, Jared ever so gently placed his arm around Jensen and brought him close. And for once, Jensen didn't flinch away.

Finally, something felt real.

  
  


\---

"Let's go to the audience for their reactions!"

"I think Natasha and Clint are gonna win. They obviously have chemistry and they are, like, in the top three for _every_ challenge."

"John and Dell are soooooo romantic. I ship them so hard!"

"Did you see the moment where he took her hand for the first time?"

"He is such a gentleman! I would die!"

"I'm in love with Stiles. And Derek. Actually, Derek AND Stiles. Don't make me choose between them!"

"I can't believe Harry and Hermoine got voted off so early... they were so cute together."

"Jared and Jensen are so hot. I would marry them both in a three-way if I could."

"Blair needs to dump Chuck's cheating ass already."

\---

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Next part coming soon!


End file.
